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Kerlon Moura Souza (born 27 January 1988) is a Brazilian former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as an
attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
. After retiring, he worked as a coach at Olé Soccer in the United States. Kerlon first gained prominence after his performances at the U-17 World Cup in 2005, where he scored eight goals in seven games and helped Brazil win the title. While playing with Cruzeiro, he gained more notoriety due to his
seal dribble A seal dribble is a form of dribbling in association football. It is performed by flicking the ball up from the ground onto the head, whereby the player then proceeds to run past opponents, whilst bouncing the ball on top of his forehead, imitating ...
technique, and after a good 2007 season with Cruzeiro, he was billed as "the next Ronaldinho" and caught the attention of top European clubs like
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
, who signed him in 2008. However, a pair of knee injuries ultimately derailed his career, only make sporadic appearances until his retirement in 2017, and never fulfilled his true potential.


Club career


Early years in Brazil

Kerlon made his professional debut for Cruzeiro in May 2005 for a
Copa do Brasil The Copa do Brasil () is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and it is the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de Portugal, ...
match against Baraúnas. Kerlon scored his first professional goal on 25 February 2007 in Cruzeiro's 4–1 victory over
Ituiutaba Ituiutaba (Brazilian Portuguese: /itujuˈtabɐ/) is a municipality in the western part of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Elevated to city status in 1901, its population in 2020 was 105,255 and a total area in the municipality of 2,694 k ...
in the
Campeonato Mineiro The Campeonato Mineiro is the top-flight professional state football league in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It is run by the Minas Gerais Football Federation (FMF). The history of Campeonato Mineiro can be divided into two parts: bef ...
. While at Cruzeiro, Kerlon became well known for his trademark skill, named the "drible da foquinha" or
seal dribble A seal dribble is a form of dribbling in association football. It is performed by flicking the ball up from the ground onto the head, whereby the player then proceeds to run past opponents, whilst bouncing the ball on top of his forehead, imitating ...
, where the ball is bounced continuously on the forehead while running. Opposing players often foul the performer of a seal dribble, such as in September 2007, where Atletico Mineiro player Dyego Coelho struck Kerlon with his elbow and was suspended for five matches.


European football

Kerlon was signed by
Chievo Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige. It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona. History The name came from t ...
in 2008. Like the deal that Inter bought Júlio César and
Victor Obinna Victor Nsofor Obinna (born 25 March 1987) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Obinna in Igbo, literally means "father's heart". He played for Chievo in Italy's Serie B, having played regularly in Serie A wit ...
, Inter borrowed the non-EU registration quota from Chievo instead of using its own quota. Lega Calcio documented Chievo signed Kerlon but he would leave for Inter at a later time. Cruzeiro also announced that the club and third-party owner
EMS Sigma Pharma Ems or EMS may refer to: Places and rivers * Domat/Ems, a Swiss municipality in the canton of Grisons * Ems (river) (Eems), a river in northwestern Germany and northeastern Netherlands that discharges in the Dollart Bay * Ems (Eder), a river of ...
sold 80% rights to Kerlon's agent
Mino Raiola Carmine "Mino" Raiola (; 4 November 1967 – 30 April 2022) was an Italian-Dutch football agent known for having represented players such as Pavel Nedvěd, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Paul Pogba, and Erling Haaland. Raiola began his career in the N ...
for €1.3 million. EMS and Cruzeiro retained the remaining 20% rights. He made his début for Chievo on 29 October, against
Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
as a substitute; one of only four appearances that season largely due to a knee injury sustained in March 2007. In July 2009, Kerlon officially signed a deal with Inter until June 2012. Kerlon continued to suffer from knee injuries during his time at Inter which some journalists cite as the reason for his minor impact in the Serie A. On 31 August 2009, Kerlon was loaned to
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
with an option to purchase; Inter also subsidised Ajax in order to finalize the loan. However Ajax only offered him a place in
Jong Ajax Jong Ajax (; ), also referred to as Ajax II or Ajax 2, is a Dutch association football team. It is based in Amsterdam and competes in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. Jong Ajax is the only reserve team to have won a title in Dutch professional foot ...
 – the reserve team instead of the first, as announced on his presentation day. He returned to Inter for the start of the 2010–11 season, but was injured again during the pre-season and suffered a long-term absence from football.


Back to Brazil

On 26 January 2011, Kerlon was announced as a new player of
Paraná Clube Paraná Clube, commonly referred to as Paraná, is a Brazilian professional club based in Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Southern Brazil. The city's population was 1,773,718 ...
on loan and the club borrowed him until 8 August 2011. He played three times in
2011 Campeonato Paranaense The 2011 Campeonato Paranaense, Campeonato Paranaense de Futebol Profissional da 1ª Divisão is the 96th season of Paraná (state), Paraná's top professional football league. The competition began on January 16 and will end on May 15. Coritiba Fo ...
. On 21 July 2011, he completed a one-year loan move to Nacional de Nova Serrana. Nacional participated in 2011 Minas Gerais Cup and 2012 Minas Gerais League. Kerlon only played once in the state league.


Japan

In August 2012 he joined
Japan Football League The , also known as simply the JFL, is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League 100 Year Plan club sta ...
side
Fujieda MYFC are a Japanese professional football club based in Fujieda, Shizuoka. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football. It was previously funded by online subscribers and was the first of its kind in Japan. Th ...
on free transfer. On 16 September 2012, Kerlon made his league debut against
Zweigen Kanazawa Zweigen Kanazawa (ツエーゲン金沢, ''Tsuēgen Kanazawa'') is a Japanese football club based in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. They currently play in the J3 League, Japan's third tier of professional league football after ...
, coming on as 59th-minute substitute. He scored his first goal for the club in his next match, scoring in the 77th minute in a 3–0 win over Sony Sendai. In his first season in Japan he scored three goals and provided seven assists in eight games. In his second season at the club, Kerlon played 14 matches and scored 6 goals before his knee troubles affected him once more. He was forced to return to Brazil for knee surgery, keeping him out of action until February 2014. On 20 January 2014, he left the club.


United States

In September 2014, he trained and played a few games with
Atlanta Silverbacks The Atlanta Silverbacks FC were an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1998 as Atlanta Ruckus, the club played in many leagues over the years before folding after the 2015 season. The team played its home game ...
but quickly ruled out the transfer possibility by saying ''"I always had the dream and the intention to play in the United States, whether it's in MLS or the NASL, I really like the country, I really want to be here, because I am closer to Brazil, and this opportunity came to me. I am very happy to be here."'' On 17 March 2015, Kerlon signed with
Miami Dade FC Miami Dade FC is an American association football, soccer team based in Miami, Florida. The club was founded in 2014 and is currently competing in United Premier Soccer League. In November 2015, the club made international headlines by announci ...
.


Malta

In September 2015, Kerlon arrived on the island of Malta for a trial with
Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara or BKR) is a city in the Eastern Region, Malta, Eastern Region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the Malta (island), island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous pari ...
but instead signed for
Sliema Wanderers Sliema Wanderers Football Club, nicknamed "tax-Xelin" ( of the shilling), is a professional Maltese football club. It is the most successful team in Malta and hails from the seaside town of Sliema. It currently plays in the Maltese Premier Leagu ...
on a free transfer. On 19 September, he scored his first goal for the club, scoring the winner in the 2–1 win over
Mosta Mosta () is a small but densely populated city in the Northern Region of Malta. The most prominent building in Mosta is the Rotunda, a large basilica built by its parishioners' volunteer labour. It features the world's 3rd largest unsupported ...
.


Slovakia

After a spell back in Brazil with Villa Nova where he made three appearances in the
Campeonato Mineiro The Campeonato Mineiro is the top-flight professional state football league in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It is run by the Minas Gerais Football Federation (FMF). The history of Campeonato Mineiro can be divided into two parts: bef ...
, Kerlon signed for
Slovak Super Liga The Slovak First Football League (), officially known as Niké liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Slovakia and the highest level of the Football in Slovakia, Slovak football league system. It was formed ...
side
FC Spartak Trnava FC Spartak Trnava () is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Trnava, Slovakia. The club competes in Slovak First Football League, the top flight in the Football in Slovakia#System, Slovak league system, hav ...
on a one-and-a-half-year contract. However, he made only four appearances before his contract was terminated at the end of the season.


Retirement

On 20 October 2017, after spending three months without a club, Kerlon publicly announced his retirement from football.


International career

Kerlon was the top scorer and named Best Player at the
2005 South American Under 17 Football Championship The 2005 South American Under-17 Football Championship was a football competition for U-17 national teams affiliated with CONMEBOL. It was the 11th time the tournament was held. It was played in Venezuela from 1 to 17 April 2005. The host city o ...
, scoring eight goals in seven matches and helping Brazil win the tournament.


Honours

Cruzeiro *
Campeonato Mineiro The Campeonato Mineiro is the top-flight professional state football league in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It is run by the Minas Gerais Football Federation (FMF). The history of Campeonato Mineiro can be divided into two parts: bef ...
: 2006 Brazil U17 *
South American Under 17 Football Championship The South American U-17 Championship (; ), branded as CONMEBOL Sub 17, is a football competition held every two years for South American under-17 teams. The tournament was born in 1985 out of a need for a classification tournament for the newly cre ...
:
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
Individual *South American U-17 Football Championship top scorer: 2005 *South American U-17 Football Championship Best Player: 2005


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kerlon Living people 1988 births Men's association football midfielders Brazilian men's footballers Cruzeiro Esporte Clube players AC ChievoVerona players Serie A players Inter Milan players AFC Ajax players Paraná Clube players Villa Nova Atlético Clube players Nacional Esporte Clube Ltda players Fujieda MYFC players Miami Dade FC players Maltese Premier League players Slovak First Football League players Brazil men's under-20 international footballers Brazil men's youth international footballers Brazilian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands Expatriate men's footballers in Japan Association football coaches Footballers from Ipatinga 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Japan